Joseph Woll came up big for the Maple Leafs even in defeat in Game 4. Our NHL betting picks see him being tested early and often once again tonight.
NHL
We have two games on the NHL betting slate tonight, including Game 5 between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers at Scotiabank Arena.
The Leafs have spent a lot of time in their own zone through the first four games of the series, and my Panthers vs. Maple Leafs predictions expect that trend to continue.
My NHL picks are eyeing Joseph Woll’s saves prop as the best bet for Wednesday, May 14.
The Florida Panthers got themselves back into this series with a sweep in Sunrise. However, the series shifts back up north, and that should give the Toronto Maple Leafs the edge tonight.
Toronto is 31-14-1 on home ice this season with a +26 goal differential. The Panthers, on the other hand, have struggled on the road this year, going 23-21-2.
I also believe the extra day of rest will benefit the Leafs. Give me the Buds to take control back of the series tonight with a win on home ice.
My Panthers vs Maple Leafs pick: Joseph Woll Over 26.5 saves (-130 at Sports Interaction)
The Maple Leafs look to wrestle back a series lead tonight as they host the Panthers at Scotiabank Arena.
So far, home ice has been an incredible advantage, as the host has won all four games to this point in the series.
Anthony Stolarz is still out with an injury, so it’ll be Joseph Woll in net again for the Buds. He is coming off his best performance of the postseason in Game 4, where he turned aside 35 of 37 shots in a losing effort.
The Panthers have done a good job in getting pucks on net throughout the entire series, averaging 32.5 shots per contest, outshooting the Buds 130-104 through four games.
A big reason for the shot discrepancy is the lopsided offensive zone time. The Panthers are in the O-zone 43.5% of the time, ranking third this postseason. Toronto, however, has spent more time in the defensive zone than any other team in the second round.
The more time the Panthers spend in the Leafs end, the more opportunities they have to get shots on goal.
Additionally, the Leafs have been extremely undisciplined in this series, taking 18 total penalties, ranking second in penalties taken through the second round. This has also contributed to Florida’s reign in the offensive end and a is big reason why the Panthers have loaded up the shot counter throughout the series.
I anticipate Game 5 to play out similarly, where the Leafs goalie should be busy all night again.
Sam Reinhart 3+ shots on goal
John Tavares 2+ shots on goal
Maple Leafs +1.5
We can’t use the best bet in an SGP, but we can apply the logic of it to a first leg of 3+ shots on goal for Sam Reinhart. He leads the Panthers with 4.25 shots per game in this series.
For the second leg of the SGP, we’ll stick to the shot props and take John Tavares to record 2+ shots on goal for Toronto. He also is averaging 4.25 shots per game in the series, and this prop has gone 4-0.
For the final leg of my SGP, I’ll take the Leafs on the spread at +1.5. Three of the four games have been decided by one goal, and Toronto is 3-1 ATS so far in the series.
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Odds courtesy of Sports Interaction
The Over is 6-4 in the last 10 meetings between these two teams. Find more NHL betting trends for Panthers vs. Maple Leafs.
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Mike DiStefano joins Covers after a successful five-year stint with TSN. Distefano hosted Leafs Lunch, a Toronto Maple Leafs-centric radio show which featured a daily best bets segment where he found the biggest and best value plays of the night. He was also a weekly staple on TSN’s flagship radio/tv show “OverDrive” as a betting analyst during their NFL picks segment #TeamAl-DogForever.
A graduate of Centennial College’s Sports Journalism program, Mike has also contributed to the Canadian Baseball Network, FanSided, and The Hockey News.
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